Thursday, January 3, 2013

My 12 favorite beauty products of 2012

Happy 2013 everyone!
Shockingly, I have found a bunch of HG or 'holy grail' products this year! It makes me happy to find amazing things that suit me, but at the same time it takes the fun away from hunting for something new.

Everything in this post are products I use daily or a few times per week.
You might recognize some of these items from my summer favorites post.
Sorry, I didn't take individual pictures of everything, I wanted to get this posted before 2014 ;) So; here are my top 12 beauty buys from 2012.

12. Clinique take the day off cleansing balm $34 CAD

This was a recent discovery and I am so impressed with it. I've wasted so much money trying to find a 'gentle' cleanser that completely removes makeup. I can't use foaming cleansers or wipes anymore, they make my face red and irritated. This balm easily takes off every single trace of makeup, even waterproof mascara - and it rinses off completely. No oily residue at all! I love this stuff so much.

11. Essence volumizing lash powder $3.99 CAD

I was skeptical, but this stuff works so well. I found that using wet mascara with it is best. Covergirl lash blast (orange tube) worked magically with it. It gave me fake looking lashes. The fibers won't irritate sensitive eyes, just be careful when applying and you will get amazing lashes.

10. ELF liquid eyeliner $1.50 CAD

I grabbed this back in the summer when I ran out of MAC penultimate liner (which dried out within 3 months of use :( And I don't think I will look back. I can get a thin dark line in one swipe, and it stays put all day. So cheap too!

9. Maybelline color tattoo cream shadow bad to the bronze $8.99 CAD

I use this all the time. It's one of my go-to shadows because it is so quick and easy to get a gorgeous taupe shimmery eye. Just apply to lids, add a few coats of mascara and then put on some more for a little more color intensity.

8. Wet n Wild color icon palette vanity $6.99 CAD

I think this is what I would consider my HG eyeshadow palette. I recently purchased a back up. It's so pigmented and gorgeous. The colors blend like a dream. I was using MAC blanc type as an all over base shadow before, but when I started using the matte beige in this quad I realized that it was even better than MAC! I will never be without this palette.

7. NARS larger than life lipgloss Tiber $30 CAD

I love NARS larger than life glosses. I think they are the best out there. They are shiny, long lasting and hydrating. No stickiness at all. Tiber is my favorite color, a nice neutral beige. I am going to buy more.

6. MAC lipstick blankety $18 CAD

This is my HG lipstick. It is the perfect mix of pink and beige and I can wear it with anything. It tones down the redness in my lips but it doesn't make me look like a corpse.

5. MAC paint pot constructivist $20 CAD

I love this as an all over lid color or as a liner. It's a nice rich brown with reddish pearl. It makes my green eyes pop. Genius color. Another item I will never be without.

4. MAC eyebrow pencil lingering $18 CAD

This has become my HG brow product. I have tried lots. This is IT. The color is perfect, it looks totally natural, it defines and helps shape and fill in brows where needed. Most importantly, it stays on all day and it keeps brows in place. I couldn't ask for more. I have heard that maybelline has a dupe of this product so I will be checking that out too.

3. MAC mineralize skin finish light year (limited edition) $34 CAD

I'm sorry I had to put an LE product in here, but this has become my everyday blush. I mix all the colors together and it gives me a luminous pink/beige/peach glow that I haven't got from anything else. It's exactly what I want in a blush. A little glow without looking overdone. All pale girls need this in their stash!

2. MAC play it proper beauty powder $34 CAD

This is my HG highlight product. It is a light pearly pink and it gives my cheekbones an amazing glow. I've hit pan and already have a backup because I use it pretty well every day.

I highly recommend light pink highlighters for pale skin, I think they are the most flattering.

1. Make up forever face and body foundation $44 CAD

My number one favorite? MUFE face and body foundation. I love it. I haven't found any other foundation that gives such a youthful look to skin as this. It's dewy but it is so light feeling, and it lasts all day. I tried shade #20 and it was very dark on me, I ended up going for #38 porcelain ivory and it is a pretty decent match. It's expensive, and hard to get here but I will keep using it until I find something similar.

I hope you liked my top 12! What were your favorites of 2012? There were so many great things this year it was hard to pick!

4 comments:

You may want to consider a few more backups of the WnW palette. I don't know what the deal with it is in Canada, but here in the US they were DC'd sometime over the Summer, around the time I started getting into WnW (so I missed most of them...).

Robyn, you have to try the mufe f&b, get a sample from sephora if possible.Anonymous, thanks for the heads up, I am still on my first palette, and I use every single color - although brule is one of my faves x

..::make up or morte::..

Ghost skin lady here.I have OCD and makeup is my outlet.I started off in hairstyling and esthetics and have become a self taught makeup artist.I enjoy doing a wide variety of looks.Makeup or Morte is my portal of creativity to share my love for texture and color with everyone. Happy to meet you all who share the same obsession.